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T. GRA'ETHBR. SPRING MAKING MACHINE.

N0. 351,975. Patented N0v. 2, 1-886.

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R E H T E A R G T SPRINGMAKING MACHINE.

Patented Novy2, 1886.

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' UNIT D STATES PATENT" OFFICE.

THEODORE GRAETHER OF DETROIT, MICHIGAN, ASSIGNOR TO THE DETROIT STEELAND SPRING WORKS.

S PRING-MAKI N.G- MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letter: Patent No. 351,975, dated November2, 1886.

Application filed July 29, 1886.

To all whom it may concern.-

- Be it known that I, THEODORE GRAETHER,

, This invention relates to new and useful improvements in machines forforming springs;

and the invention consists in the peculiar con struction, arrangement,and combination into an operative machine of a number of formers,

1 by means of which a blank may be bent into elliptical shape andprovided withthe usual eyes in the ends at one heating of the blank, allas hereinafter described.

In the drawings which accompany this specification,Figure1 is a plan ofmy machine.

Fig. 2 is a vertical cross-section on the line so a: in Fig. 1. Fig.3isa vertical section on line y y in Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a plan showingthe position of some of the dies in operation. Fig.

2 5 5 is a perspective view of the blank.

A solid bed-plate or table, A, issupported upon asuitableframe,and neartherear end of this tableis journaled in suitable bearings the shaft B,to whichthe drive-pulley G is attached by means of a clutch, D, of knownconstruction. E is a trip-lever arranged to trip the clutch by acting onthe spring-dog]? of the clutch and hold it normally open,except whenwithdrawn from contact therewith by means of the foot- 5 lever G. I

Upon the shaft 13 are secured two like cams,

II, which bear against the anti-friction rollers a, secured on the backof the movable former I. The latter reciprocates between parallel oguides b b, and has springs c, which by their tension effect therearward movement of the jaw. A stationary former, J, is secured to thebed-plate in front of the movable former, and

at such distance therefrom that the forward 5 movement of the movableformer will bring the opposite curved faces d of the two in such closeproximity to each other that a heat ed steel blank placed between theformers will be bent into the required shape. The movable formerl ispreferably formed in two parts gletachably secured together in anysuitable Serial No. 209,438. (No model.)

manner. The two front corners of the former I are cut away at e, asshown, and for the pur pose hereinafter explained. A stud, G, projectsfrom the center of the face of the former 5 5 J, and registers with acorresponding hole, G, in the face of the movable former I, and when theheated blank is placed between the two formers I J the hole It in thecenter of the blank is engaged with the stud G, and to per- 6 mittheoperation to be performed with the tongs by means of which the heatedblank has to be handled, I form a suitable recess, 1;, at the base ofsaid stud.

Near the front corners of the table are se- 6 cured in vertical guides Kthetwo verticallymovable formers L, which operate in connection with theapertured steel blocks M, all so arranged that, if a heated blank isplaced flat on the table and projecting with its free 0 ends under theformers L, the latter in descending will bend down the ends of theblank, as shown in Fig. 3. Tohold the blank in proper position for thisoperation, the table is provided with a central stud, k, with which the7 hole It in the blank is'engaged, and two guidestuds, Z, prevent anyother accidental displacement. A recess, m, in the front edge of thetable, near the stud it, permits of handling the heated blank in thisposition with the tongs. 8o The formers L are actuated by means oflevers N and cams O, and set-screws n in the rear ends of the levers Npermit of regulating the throw of said levers to obtain the propermovement of the formers L. E 5

P P are two formers horizontally movable in suitable guides, Q, on topof the table. They operate, as shown in, Fig. I, in connection with thecut-away corner e of the former I, to complete the eyes on the ends ofthe go blanks after they have been partially formed by the formers L. Tothis end the forward end of each former is provided with the roundingrecess 0 and the cheeks p q, the former of which projects beyond thelatter. By these 5 means the cheek 10 travels in advance and protectsthat portion of the eye already formed by the previous operation. Thecorners of the formers J are also preferably cut away, as at f, to fitthe cheek p, as shown. formers P is actuatedby means of a lever, B,which operates in connection with a cam, S,

Each of the on the shaft B, and for the purpose ofadj ustment the pivots'2' of the levers R- are adj ustably secured to the bed-plate in anysuitable manner.

The levers Rand N, hereinbefore mentioned, have suitable springs toretract them.

In practice a steel blank provided, as shown in Fig. 5, with the centralhole, h, is properly heated and placed with the aid of tongs on thefront end of the table, as shown indottedlines in Fig. 1, the hole Itengaging with the stud k, and the ends of the spring projecting underthe formers L. This accomplished, the workman releases thetripleverEfrom engagement with the clutch D by actuating the foot-lever,when the succeeding revolution of the shaft B causes the formers L todescend and form the initial bend of the eyes, as shown in Fig. 3. Themotion of the shaft B having been arrested by the automatic action ofthe trip-lever after one revolution, the workman proceeds to remove theblank and place it for the next operation edgewise on the table betweenthe two formers I J, with the hole 71. engaging on the stud G oftheformer J, as shown in Fig. 1. The workman then again starts the machinefor another revolution, when the former I, in approaching the former J,bends the'spring into shape, and then keeps it firmly clamped between.During this clampingaction, (which, owing to the shape of the cams H,lasts for a part of the revolution of the shaft 13,) the formers P startup and complete the eyes of the spring. The two successive operations towhich the blank has thus been subjected can be carried out with one heatof the blank, and the advantage of my machine in this respect isself-evident.

' hat I claim as my invention is- 1. In a spring bending and formingniachinc, the following elements combined: a table, a pair of movableformers operating in connection with apertures in the table to form theinitial bend of the eyes, a movable and a stationary former arranged tobend the spring,

and a pair of movable formers operating in connection with thebending-formers to com.- plete the eyes, all arranged and operatingsubstantially as described.

2. In a spring bending and forming machine, the combination of the tableA, the stationary former J, having the stud Gand recess a, and themovable former I, all arranged to operate substantially as described.

3. In a spring bending and forming ma chine, the combination of theformers I J, arranged to clamp the spring, and having the cut-awaycorners ef,and the movableformers P, having the rounding recess 0, andthe cheeks q 1), all arranged to operate substantially as described.

4. In a spring bending and forming ma chine, the combination of thetable A, having the apertures M, and the movable formers L, all arrangedto operate substantially as described.

5. In a spring bending and forming machine, the combination ol'the tableA, having the studs k l and recess on, the vertically'movable formers Land the apertures M in the table, all arranged to operatesubstantiallyas described.

6. In a spring bending and forming machine, the combination, with theformers P, I, and J, of the shaft 13, cams S, levers R operated thereby,and cams H, said cams being partly eccentric and partly concentric, substantially as described.

7. In a spring bending and forming machine having the movable formers L,P, and I, substantially as described, the combination of the shaft B,having actuating-connections with said formers, the clutch D on saidshaft, and the selfacting trip-lever E, substantially as and for thepurposes described.

THEODORE GRAETHER.

Witnesses:

H. S. SPRAGUE, E. ScULLY.

